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Instincts Take Hold: Marise's Meeting With Izaya
Izaya took a day off from training in the Soul Society and made his way to the Human World where he took a seat at a cafe ordering a lemonade. "Whew!! It's so hot out here. I wonder if I called Meru and Kekyuu they would come out and join me......probably not." He laid his head on the table as he waited for his drink. Marise waltzed into the cafe, wearing a flowery blue and pink peasant blouse and short jean shorts that went above her waist, with a row of gold buttons on them. Her long golden hair was let loose flowing down her back, with only a single daisy to adorn it. Her air of confidence polluted the entire area, hoping to attract attention. She faintly looked around, her features turning to that of scorn, unimpressed by what she saw. This place looks so cheap! She thought to herself. However, she did not leave the cafe, but instead decided to sit at a table and sample what they offered. As she was walking toward an empty table she passed a boy whose head was lying on a table. Do they just let anyone come here? What kind of boy grows their hair out that long!? ''She thought with disgust, sitting at the table behind him, her back facing him, as she pondered over what she should order, along with thinking malicious thoughts of those around her. Izaya's nose twitched as he smelled a woman's perfume "Whoa! What is that marvelous scent? There has to be a female around here." He sat up looking around as the waitress came in with his drink. He stopped to smell her subtlely. "Hm, excuse me waitress. Do you know where that marvelous scent is coming from?" The waitress motioned her head pointing behind Izaya. He turned around spotting a blonde haired female dropping his jaw in awe. "WHHHOOA!! Who is that!?" Mari placed her head in her left hand, holding her menu with the other, skimming through it, apparently bored. ''I should have just gotten some raisin bread from Aunt Fifi's instead of coming here... she thought. As she was about to call for the nearest waitress she heard the man behind her exclaim in surprise. Marise turned around and glared at him. "You are so rude! Why are you staring at me?" "U-u-uh I'm sorry. It's just I've never seen someone with such beauty. Your hair just radiates with beauty and finesse. I didn't mean to stare I just couldn't help myself." Izaya started to laugh awkwardly. "Who am I kidding? You probably get reactions like this ALL the time. Um. Let's start over. Hello I'm Izaya Masaharu." Mari inwardly rolled her eyes, as she made a once over look at him. Oh great, another Casanova. He must be a Yanki, what with that hair and troublesome look! ''"As a matter of fact, I do. And it's not like you need to know, but my name is Marise Asahina, but you can just refer to me as Asahina-san. Or better yet, don't say my name at all! Hmph!" She turned back in her seat, hoping not to be spoken to again. Izaya looked confused. "Do you always act like that? If you didn't want to talk to me then you didn't have to give me your name at all." Izaya got up to sit across from her as he looked up smiling. "Maris-er...Asahina-san. Would you like some company? I know from firsthand experience that traveling alone can be sort of tiresome. But when you have company...even if it's someone you end up despising it makes it that much easier to get through at least." She looked quizzically at him, an eyebrow raised. "You're so strange." She said. "I usually always go to places alone, so I'm kind of used to it." Marise took this time to actually take a good look at the person across from her. She was a little thrown back by his outgoing demeanor, but felt she could warm up to him. Of course, she would never admit this in a thousand years. Mari looked at her menu again, frustrated at not being able to make a decision. Finally, she called over a waitress to order some chai tea and a couple of scones. "Oh? You always go out to random cafes alone? Doesn't that get well...lonely? Where are all your friends? I'm sure someone as pretty as you has many wonderful friends." Izaya smiled as he realized he left his drink "Sorry be right back." Getting up he looked around the area smiling to himself. "Whoa! Asahina-han is so awesome!" He started to laugh causing the people around him to look at him confusion. "Er...sorry about that." Sitting back down with Marise Izaya smiled once more "So where are you from?" "Aren't you the clever one." She responded dryly. "Well, the friends I do have aren't here in Japan, and there really isn't anyone here worthy of being called my friend. And I bet you say that to every girl with a pretty face." The waitress arrived with her order and Mari realized just how hungry she really was. Living the life, or at least, attempting to live the life of a refined young woman proved to be rather difficult at times. To attack her food with the ravenous desire she was feeling would probably not look so appetizing to her gentleman caller. Using much restraint, she slathered a dab of cream cheese and raspberry jam on one of her scones and took a delicate bite. Unfortunately, some of the cream cheese wound up on her bottom lip, and she cursed herself. She licked her lips as she prepared to answer Izaya's question. "Well, that's a toughie, to ask where I'm from. I've basically been all over, because of my mom's job, but I was born in France, and lived there a good chunk of my life. My family settled down in Japan a few years ago, now that she's retired, and we've been living here ever since." She sipped her chai tea as her eyes had a glazed, far off look in them. "Sometimes I miss traveling the world, each place you go you can be whoever you want, because no one knows who you are. There's always a new beginning, a chance to start over." Izaya's eyes lit up immediately as he watched Marise eat, he started thinking to himself. "''Wow...she really is amazing!" He quickly regained his composure before continuing "WHOA!!!!! You've been all over?! If you don't mind me asking where exactly else have you been to? I love hearing stories about travel Asahina-san. You seem well knowledged...if that's a word. Like you're so refined and graceful and really cute. Hahaha I'm sorry, I'm probably coming off as really creepy right now." Mari nodded in agreement. "I definitely sense creep-like tendencies from you. But I suppose that's okay, seeing as I get that all the time. Oh, I've been all over, New York, Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo," she listed, as she counted them off her fingers. "There are more places, but they're less important. I liked traveling, we usually stayed in hotels though, but we'd always see all the sites, so I guess it was pretty fun." She was about to reach over for her cup to take another sip when she paused. She looked up at Izaya, her brow furrowed in slight confusion, her eyes holding the look of vulnerability, something rarely seen in her when with another person. "Well-knowledged? No one has ever said that about me before. Do you really think that, are you being honest? Or are you just saying that to make me like you?" As she finished her eyes lowered to her plate, feeling a little deflated. How horrible people are in this world! To only say things they didn't mean, or for their own self-endowment. Mari has sensed this from others far too many times. It could only be so long before these sugarcoated words, these terms of affection, would wear off. How was she to differentiate one who was being sincere from one who was not? This was her dilemma. He face-palmed as he heard Marise call him a creep. "Well at least your travels sound fun. Maybe we can go traveling somewhere together one day. Hahaha. Look at me making plans for the future even though we just met." Izaya smiled confidently. "Can't it be a little of both? I really think you're interesting Asahina-san. I truly do. I don't know...it's like you're different from other people. You make me want to get to know you better each time we talk." She entwined her fingers together, placing her elbows on the table, and her head on her hands, day dreamingly staring out the window. "Someday I'm going to travel the entire globe again." She murmured. "I'll go around and around, as many times as it takes, and then maybe I'll finally find a place where I'll be happy. A place where I truly belong." Mari suddenly snapped out of her daydream, shaking her head, a sad smile on her face. "But who knows when that will happen?" She shrugged, taking another bite of her scone. "Interesting and different are two different things." Mari continued, "And could both have negative connotations. Geez, you can call me Marise now, you know, or Mari for short." She crossed her arms, annoyed, and turned her head, her nose pointedly sticking up in her snooty manner. "Asahina-san. You don't have to be like that. We're friends right?" Izaya smiled at Marise before a look of fufillment came across his face, he then leaned over picking a flower from a plant handing it to her. "Here you go Mari. I know it doesn't come close to your beauty but.." Izaya paused as he thought. "Haha that probably sounded really cliche and lame. I'm sorry. Maybe I can buy you another scone or maybe a movie or possibly just relaxing on the beach." Mari hesitantly took the small daisy and looked down on it with a slight frown, though she was blushing. She usually didn't come across these types. No, the ones she always attracted were those with purely perverted intentions. So she didn't exactly know how to respond. She wanted to be annoyed, no, disgusted by him, she wanted to see him as something repugnant, vulgar, undesirable. But it just wasn't possible. Despite his overly-dramatic display of affection, Marise couldn't help but feel there was some sincerity to it. "Well..." She said, as she fiddled with one of the soft white petals, "maybe we could do something like that. I-I mean, if I had the time of course! I'm very busy so you'll have to catch me when I'm free." As she continued to play with her little flower, she couldn't help but notice something strange. She looked up at Izaya, tilting her head to one side, without even trying to mask the look of curiosity on her face. There was something...different she felt about him, and it wasn't just his sincerity. She sort of felt an almost...aura emanating from him, and it piqued her curiosity more than it frightened her. But she quickly tried to quell her desire to wonder any more about it. Don't think about it Mari... she told herself. You'll just get yourself dragged into some kind of freak show. Normalcy. Aim for normalcy. ''She quickly shook off her former expression and smiled sweetly at the person across from her, her dimples showing, hoping he hadn't noticed. "Yes!" Izaya jumped up in excitement. "I know it's not a complete yes, but it's not a no. Haha. Well...you travel a lot right? So wouldn't you know best of when you have a free moment? I know we would have loads of fun...even if you're sort of scary at times." Izaya began to laugh awkwardly "You know...you have some of the cutest dimples I think that I have ever seen." A large grin seemed to cover his face as he looked into Marise's eyes. Mari put on a sour look, her mouth in a pout when hearing the part about her being scary, but quickly got over it. After all, it was true and she knew it, but never liked admitting it. ''Goodness, does this guy have to point out everything that he likes about me? I mean, I know there's a lot to like, but there '''is '''such a thing as too much flattery. Or maybe not, when it comes to me at least! But maybe this isn't such a good idea... Even though Marise was quite the flighty girl, truth be told, this was the longest she had gone without a boyfriend, it having been around a month. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to enter the dating scene again, she felt just fine being single. However...at times it was hard to get over the feelings of loneliness that swept over her, so perhaps this will be good for her. She looked right back at Izaya, those sapphire gems sparkling. "Okay Izaya," Mari said, using his name for the first time since they met, "I'm going to take your word and hope you'll show me a good time, so don't disappoint me! Please treat me gently," she added, winking, always knowing how to play a man's heartstrings. Izaya smiled even wider to the point where it seemed as though his mouth would just pop off of his face. "Come on Asahina-san!" Not wasting the opportunity Izaya grabbed Marise's hand and began running down the road stopping in a flower shop buying her a boquet of lillies. "These aren't as a beautiful yellow as your hair but I thought they might make you smile. I hope you are ready for a wonderful afternoon of fun." Izaya looked around to fin their next location before turning back to face Marise "You know...I'm really glad I found you. Haha." Mari felt surprise all the way through, from the moment he grabbed her hand, to the point where she held this boquet of lilies in her hand, feeling a mixture of awe and bewilderment. "Oh...um, thank you." She said. Marise had never met a person who had tried this hard to impress her, she didn't know whether to feel weary or ecstatic beyond all reason. Wait a second! ''She thought. ''Why am I acting like a dumbstruck animal and letting this guy drag me around to Timbuktu! ''"Well, I'm glad you found me too! But before we do anything else, I have to lay down some ground rules, and you better follow them!" She prepared to scrunch up her face, wrinkling her nose, trying to look intimidating, as she switched to Bossy-Mari Mode. Izaya laughed in a frightened manner "Um...sure? I'm sorry. I didn't think about how you felt about any of this. Hm..Ok. What are you rules? I'll try my best to follow them all so I don't dissapoint you Asahina-san." He smiled as he waited for Marise to speak "Okay then!" She exclaimed, smiling, feeling much more relaxed. She pulled out a list from her back pocket, waving it back and forth in front of Izaya's face. "This is the list with all the rules on it, a sort of contract, if you will. I give this to all of my new boyfriends. Allow me to read it to you:" '''Mari's Rules of a Relationship:' #Do not touch Mari unless given permission. (The most important one!) #Follow all orders Marise gives you. #Never tell Marise she is wrong, even if she is. #You are to put Marise before anyone else. #Mari always has first say in what we do, when we do it, and where we do it. #There will be no actions made to embarass Mari. #You are required to put up with all of her banters, rants, and complaints. #There will be no discussion of marriage, children, or animals. #You are not allowed to meet Mari's family unless she says so. #Any breaking of the above rules will result in severe punishment! (Aka, it's over)." She finished reading, looking rather pleased with herself. Mari smiled at Izaya. "There, now that's not too bad, right? Now, just sign here, here, and here, and then initial here. And that's it! Oh, and didn't I tell you to call me Mari?" Izaya looked confused "B-boyfriend? Contract? Hm. I'm guessing if I DO want to be in a relationship with you there isn't any sort of compromise is there? You know...a relationship is about trust. If you can't trust me then there's no point. Can't we try a trial basis before I agree to all of these rules? Some of them I have already broken to begin with." Izaya looked at the contract contemplating whether or not to sign still. "You are pretty fun though so it may be worth it in the end." Marise blushed slightly, embarassed that she had automatically assumed him wanting to be her boyfriend. Well, why wouldn't he? ''She then thought. "How can I trust you after knowing you for only one day?" She snapped. "If you don't want to sign, then-" She was interrupted by her cell phone vibrating, she pulled it out and looked at the text message she just received, one hand on her hip, slightly annoyed that she was interrupted. ''Better get home quick. Mama found that last math test you tried to hide when you stuffed it behind the oven. She's really steamed right now, so you should just come home and take your punishment now. -Ryuu Oh...fiddlesticks! ''She thought, ''I knew I should have just burned it! Oh, I bet Ryuu is just eating this all up right now, he can never get enough of humiliating me! Mari pouted, as she shut her phone. "I have to go," She mumbled, without even a word of apology for her sudden exit. "B-b-but...! Asahi- - -Mari! I was going to sign..." Izaya stopped and thought whether or not he should follow her even though it was only one day "There's still so much I want to know about her. But if I follow I could get her in trouble and look like a complete stalker in the process." ''Pacing back and forth Izaya decided to go for it. He turned sprinting after Marise in an attempt to catch up to stop her "''I just hope I'm not too late" ''---'' "''You really did it this time," her brother Ryuu smirked, as he was standing outside the door, awaiting his sister's arrival. His raven black hair was as flat as ever, his dull blue eyes holding just the faintest look of amusement. He wore a long black trenchcoat over khakhi pants, his gloved hands in the large pockets of his coat. Mari glared at him, she could never get over the digust she felt when seeing her younger brother. "Don't you have to go and cut yourself?" She spat. ''Instead of of bothering me... She added silently. "Onee-chan!!!" Her other brother, Taro, exclaimed, running down the steps to greet Mari. "Hi Taro," she greeted indifferently. The three of them froze, however, when hearing the shouts of a woman coming from inside their house, or what would be seen as a mansion by others. "WHERE IS SHE?! I'LL CUT OFF HER HANDS SO SHE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FAIL ANOTHER MATH TEST!!!" Marise winced, seeing her mother Lucille come out, unprepared for the argument that was about to ensue. "Yaah!!!" She screamed, turning around to run away, but was too slow, as her mother jumped on her, pulling her hair and shouting: "Are you trying to run away?? Did you really think I wouldn't find out about that F sooner or later? Well?" "Ow, ow, ow...!" Marise whimpered, tears beginning to form. "Mama, you're such a demon! You're so abusive, I should report you to the police!" Looking at Marise's house from the outside Izaya peeked around "So this is where she lives. Wow. Hm..I wonder if I should knock on the door." Izaya walked foward straightening his hair in the process "Just gotta relax. Maybe she'll be happy to see me." He started to turn around out of fear before continuing onward, arriving at the door he breathed deeply before knocking. Taro and Ryuu were standing on the side of their large living room, turning their heads back and forth, watching their mother and sister go at it, as though they were watching a comedy sitcom. "Explain this to me!" Lucille screeched. Despite being thirty-six years of age, she could pass for being in her mid-twenties. Marise got the bulk of her looks from her mother, and was pretty grateful for that, otherwise if she had gotten her father's looks she'd look scary like Ryuu. Or at least, that was how she perceived it. Marise was still rubbing her head from where her mother had yanked on her hair. "Don't have a cow, Mama!" Those were the wrong words to choose, however, for Mari found herself being attacked by her mother yet again, and wound up being pinned on the ground. "Mama, if you keep doing that to onee-chan, you're gonna kill her." Young Taro observed, as he stood in his olive green overalls, eating Yan-Yan. ''Suddenly, he and the others turned as they heard a knock at the door. Lucille turned back to her daughter, giving her a ferocious look. "Did you actually call the police? Wait, Ryuu! Don't answer that...!" Ryuu opened the door, staring at a young man, who, undoubtedly, was connected to Marise. His eyes bore that of one who wasn't even slightly interested as he gave a dull welcoming. "Hello." Looking at the sight in front of him Izaya awkwardly let out "Hiya! Uh..Is Mari here? I know I wasn't invited but there was something I wanted to talk to her about. If I'm interrupting I could come back later." Taro peeked from behind his older brother, clutching onto his trenchcoat, staring up at the stranger, his brown eyes growing wide, afraid. "Actually, you are interrupting," Ryuu replied, and to anyone who didn't know him well they would take his tone offensively. His eyes softened the slightest bit in seeing that this man wasn't just another one of those dumb brutes Marise brought home. "I hope what you wanted to "talk about" was your leaving her, that would be the best thing to do, even more so, seeing as you seem like a nice enough person. I'm sure my idiot sister already gave you "The Rules" list. Yeah, that acursed list is always what gets the men to leave her, despite what she says, she's never broken up with a guy, they've all left her, and with good reason too-" "Ryuu, what are you talking about?!" Mari broke free of her mother's graps and hurriedly went to the front door, wanting to look angry, but after hearing what he had said she had a bewildered look on her face and a vulnerable feel to her eyes. "Izaya, whatever he says is not true! Don't listen to him!" She urged frantically. "Sorry for interrupting you at home Asahina-san and even more so for coming uninvited." Izaya smiled before turning to face Marise's siblings "Well I'm not too sure about that. The Rules List kind of intrigued me to be honest. I don't think I would leave her anyway. Well if she accepted me first actually haha." "Oh, I'll forgive you this time!" Mari squealed with delight as she skipped over to Izaya, grabbing his right arm in both of hers, squeezing it. She then stuck her tongue out at Ryuu. ''Ha, take that stupid! She thought triumphantly. Ryuu shrugged. "It's your funeral." And with that, he turned around and trotted up the long twisted stairway up to his room. Meanwhile, Lucille had gotten up and brushed off her clothes, giving a warm smile as she greeted Izaya. "Hello there, I'm Mari's mom." Marise narrowed her eyes, then, without taking her eyes off Lucille, she stood on her tippy-toes and whispered to Izaya, "Be careful, this woman is a real witch!" Lucille pretended not to hear that. After all, while parents don't like to admit it, they wish to impress the person holding their affections just as much as that person is trying to impress the parents. Mari's mother circled around Izaya, scrutinizing him, before she asked, "Well, let's get down to the nitty gritty. Obviously, to ensure maximum happiness for my daughter, I'll need to know some things about you. So, how big is your-?" "MAMA!! What kind of perverted question is that?!" Marise screeched, as she pounced on her mother, covering her mouth with her hands. "Please excuse her, my mother is a registered sex offender, you might want to steer clear of her." Mari had trouble keeping her grip as Lucille thrashed when Mari insinuated she was a pedophile. "Haha Hmm? Wasn't she just going to ask my shoe size? That's simple to answer...12 1/2. Yea I know I'm weird." Izaya smiled as he looked at Marise."Well...I know this might be kind of odd to ask in front of your family but about that contract. Does the offer still stand?" He immediately froze as he began to panic awaiting to hear her decision. Mari first had to get over the intitial shock of hearing his shoe size...she herself was a petite size five. "Oh, right..." As she fumbled to get it out of her back pocket, she heard a loud yawn from behind her. She turned to see her father at the bottom of the stairwell, his clothes wrinkled from when he slept in them. "What's all the hub-bub, chubs?" He said groggily, slowly making his way to his family. Sou stared dully at his family and this stranger for what seemed like eternity, his eyes half-lidded, before they lit up as everything began to sink in. "Well, well," he murmured in his deep voice, "What have ya brought home, cupcake?" "This is Izaya, Papa," Mari answered casually, without the least bit of worry in her voice. "He was just about to sign..." "Oh, right. 'The List.'" Her father interrupted. He then snatched the paper from Marise's hands, earning a hmph! from her as he skimmed it over. He then took out a pen from his front shirt pocket as he begin scribbling something down. "What do you think you're doing?" Mari snapped, "It took me all of twenty minutes to think of all those!" She took it back and read what he had written, which went something to the effect of any new boyfriend must bring his precious sprinkle cupcake at no later than...eight o' clock at night, and that if this rule, or any other was broken, said boyfriend would receive severe punishment, aka, a "talk" with the father. "Oh, what a bunch of hooey!" Mari complained, stamping her foot. She ripped off the bottom portion which had her father's extra rule, crumpled it up into a ball, and tossed it over her shoulder. "Ah...alright," Sou mumbled, but not before he grabbed Izaya by the shoulder, leaning forward and murmuring in his ear, "But...ya won't do anything to hurt my lil' darling, now, will ya?" Not dealing with fathers too well Izaya froze before muttering out "No sir...not at all sir. Perfect care of Marise. You can count on me sir." Izaya was visibly shaken by talking to Marise's father but tried to play it cool "I...really like her alot. I know its only been one day but, I really do like her...she's intriguing to say the least." "Oh, all you men do is talk, talk, talk!" Marise huffed, hands on her hips, moving her head back left and right with each "talk." She pushed past her father, with a "Move out of the way, Papa!" and proceeded to her soon-to-be boyfriend. She held out the contract to him. "Sign away!" She said cheerfully. "Hold on just one minute!" Mari's entire face went red, contorted with rage, she spun around in fury, screaming, "WHAT??? WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE NOW??? Oh...sobo!" She then gasped, blushing at speaking to her grandmother in such a manner. But Coco had already dismissed her granddaughter's disrespect, as she circled around Izaya, slowly walking around, holding her chin with her right hand, and nodding. "Hmm, m-hm, yes, yes, firm, but not overly so...just one more inspection I'll need to make..." She murmured, as she tried to grope her way inside his pants. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!??!" Mari screeched, swatting her grandma's hand away. "Yeah mom, you're a real pervert." Lucille snorted. Her daughter turned on her. "Oh, you're one to talk! You tried the same thing too, just trying to be more discreet!" Mari held her arms outward, standing in front of Izaya, as though she were shielding him. "Don't weird him out too much! Can't you at least attempt to be normal?" Her entire family, including young Taro, shook their heads and mumbled out their disagreements and no's. "Its fine Mari. I think I know what she wanted." Izaya smiled as he walked around Marise facing her grandmother "Boxers ma'am. Briefs are way too uncomfortable. Not enough stretching room if you ask me. Anything else?" Coco raised an eyebrow at him, and then said carefully, "I'll let you know if I think of any." She walked back into the house. Damn! This guy isn't going to be so much fun to mess with; the others looked so hilarious when they blushed! Mari narrowed her eyes at Izaya, scrutinizing him. 'Is he just pretending or is he actually that naive?' '"Okay," she said impatiently, "if there aren't any more INTERRUPTIONS!!! then we can continue. And now, for the exalting moment of another being able to glorify in my presence...!" "Well, I'm outta here." Sou yawned, walking back into the house. Taro and Lucille nodded in agreement, and the three of them went back inside. Marise stood gaping, before furiously shouting, "Wait! Don't you want to see him sign? Where are you guys going? Hey! Get back here!" Her face turned red again, with that tiny nose scrunched up, as she shoved the contract at Izaya. "Here, sign!" "Haha. Sorry Mari. I tried making things smooth over but it looks like your family already grew bored of me." Izaya whimpered a bit as he signed the contract in front of him. "So. I guess this makes things official huh?" Reading over the contract he tilted his head "Wait a sec. So does this mean that you will have to change some of the rules seeing as I already broke two of them seeing as I touched you and already met your family. Hahaha." "Oh, that sad excuse for a family has the attention span of squirrels!" She placed her hands on her hips, annoyed. "Well, of course it makes it official! It's a contract!" No rules will be changed! They're perfect, I made it, didn't I? Since you didn't sign, the rules didn't apply, but if you really feel like you'll commit to me then you'll have to!" She took a deep breath, as though she were the one signing her all to another person. "You...will take care of me right?" Marise could not take any more disappointment. One more unexpected leave and she would be crushed. It was always her, despite what her ex's would try and tell her, "It's not you, it's me." Oh, poppy-cock, ''she thought bitterly, ''like I could believe that. It's an unfortunate truth in this cruel world, words are said that aren't really mean, actions are done for no reason other than they had to be, and people are in despair because of this. Mari, the poor soul, is one of these people. However, she is unpitiable, as this sweet siren has already shown the world what she could give: hatred, bitterness, cruelty. There is no love. Izaya smiled cheerfully at Marise "Of course I will. I signed a contract right. Mari-san. I promise to try to make you as happy as I possibly can while obeying all of your rules of course." He then scratched his head. "Hm. Well I suppose I have to ask this since its in the contract. What do you want to do now?" There was a gathering of people on the streets, shops were broken into windows destroyed, while others were simply vandalized with the blood of goats and pigs. Children joined the wild sensation of being apart of the awe-stricken experience, holding their own small weapons of destruction, screaming and yelling like wild Indians. Gunshots were fired, cheers were exclaimed, and there was the distinguishable slice so often heard, earning a round of appluase from the citizens. Mari was frozen, as the image played in her mind, so lifelike, so real, as though she were actually experiencing it for herself. Her eyes widened, but soon turned dull as if disappointed, as she stood stiff, and she shook her head back and forth, as though in a trance. "What a shame," she whispered. "Pitiful." "So Asah- I mean my wonderful new girlfriend. Are you still there? Something wrong?" Izaya leaned over smiling at Marise hoping to produce the same on her face. "It seemed as though you were there but weren't at the same time." She returned his gaze, though it was as if she were looking at him for the first time. "Mmhm." Was how she responded. Mari then softly sighed, before telling Izaya that she thought it best to end the day on this note, and that she would see him again later. Izaya sensed her uneasiness and left without saying a word. As he was leaving he thought to himself "Hm. That was odd. She certainly changed within a few moments of everything that happened. I probably shouldn't read too much into it and just do something she may like later." Marise trotted up the long spiral staircase, and entered her room on the far right of the hallway, almost secluded from the other rooms, which she was thankful for. She quietly walked in, this time not taking the time to bask in the wonderful scene of Lupin III's face being everywhere. Instead she went straight to her chest of drawers, and opening the bottom one, she sifted through her clothes until she pulled out a small, withered leather book. She sat down on her large bed, and carefully placed the item down, and handled it even more delicately when opening it, and going through the pages. However, the words went right past her, as she was just monotonously turning page after page, her mind numb... What's the next step? What more can I do? I need a sign, Marie-Jeanette, I haven't a clue as to where I should go from here...